Savvy Mom: Our New Favorite On-the-Go Snack

Between lessons, camp, and sports it feels like we're constantly on the go. One of my least favorite aspects is when my boys, 7 and 9 years old, get hungry. They roar like baby dragons and are hard to ignore. This summer, I'm stocking my bag with KIND bars, which are made with things like whole nuts, fruit, honey, and real spices instead of artificial flavors.

KIND bars took me by surprise. I don't think it's too strong to say I hate most bars, though I won't name names. They're too sweet, too caloric, or they taste unpleasant to me with their fake protein powders and other "healthful" ingredients. Even specific bars by specific makers that friends personally recommend have disappointed me. So when someone offered me a KIND bar, I was skeptical.

I was eating a Cashew & Ginger Spice bar from their new line, Nuts & Spices.

The other two lines of bars are Plus, with extras like added protein or antioxidants, and Fruit & Nut. Each bar comes in a clear package, so I can see what I'm getting, and has a short ingredient list of pronounceable, mostly whole ingredients. I wish there wasn't honey AND glucose, plus I’m not sure what the purpose of chicory root fiber is, but at least they aren't banned in Europe, like a bunch of other foods that flood the American market.

After swim lessons last week, my boys asked for snacks. I offered them the KIND bars. They balked, as suspicious of packaged bars as I am. But since that's all I had, that's what they tried.

"How are they?" I asked my picky eaters.

"Really good!" said my 9-year-old, in a surprised voice. "Medium," said my 7-year-old in a flat grumpy voice; he's going through a prickly phase. But he ate the whole thing, and then asked for another, so I don't think he's a reliable narrator.

Would whole fruits and veggies be better for us? You bet. But for on-the-go snacks during a busy time, I'm glad to have another option in my bag.